News Summary
Including editorial review.
- Due to a powerful El Niño, sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean’s ‘Niño 3.4’ region reached 29.70 degrees Celsius in September, according to Copernicus.
- Copernicus reported that last September, the global average surface temperature was 16.27 degrees Celsius, 1.63 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
- Carlo Buontempo warned that due to the strong El Niño, monthly temperatures could remain more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels through 2027.
October 13 (Paris) – The European Union’s climate monitoring service announced that powerful El Niño conditions have driven Pacific Ocean sea surface temperatures in a key monitoring region to record highs last September. Scientists caution that global temperatures may set new records by 2027.
According to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, sea surface temperatures in the “Niño 3.4” region reached 29.70 degrees Celsius. This exceeds levels observed during the strong El Niño events of 1982–83, 1997–98, and 2015–16. However, Copernicus noted that ongoing climate change has already elevated ocean temperatures, making it impossible yet to conclude that this is the strongest El Niño to date.
In September, the global average sea surface temperature was 21.05 degrees Celsius, while the global average surface air temperature was 16.27 degrees Celsius—1.63 degrees above pre-industrial averages.
Carlo Buontempo, director of Copernicus, stated that due to the powerful El Niño, monthly temperatures through 2027 could remain more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Scientists emphasize the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels to curb temperature rise.
El Niño is a phase of a natural climate cycle that raises temperatures. It increases Pacific Ocean surface temperatures, influencing global wind and rainfall patterns, which can escalate the risks of drought and flooding in various regions. Typically, El Niño events occur every two to seven years and last nine to twelve months.
